Thursday, July 1, 2010

Wolk: Water bond needs to be defeated, now

By Barry Eberling | DAILY REPUBLIC | June 30, 2010 14:42

Description:http://www.dailyrepublic.com/lingo_news/news_local_news/delta%206%203010/delta_water%20copy.jpgA UC Davis researcher fishes for large-mouth bass as partof a study in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta last year. The delta was themain topic at the Solano Economic Development Corp. breakfast Wednesdaymorning. Photo by Mike Greener

FAIRFIELD - State Sen. Lois Wolk wants the $11 billion state water bondmeasure to remain on the November ballot, but only because she believes itwill be defeated.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and leaders in the Legislature are talking ofremoving the bond from the ballot until 2012. Wolk sees this as a sign thebond is in trouble.

'I want to vote on that bond in November because I know it will be defeatedand I want to put an end to it,' Wolk, D-Davis, said Wednesday.

The Delta includes Solano County near Rio Vista. It provides water to 25million Californians, contains farmland and valuable habitat and has smallcommunities. The state is looking for ways to keep the water flowing todistant cities while at the same time improving an ecosystem that faces manychallenges. The water bill is billed by supporters as part of the solution.

Wolk said the water bond grew from $8 billion to $11 billion within a fewhours in the early morning hours when it was put together. Unlike good wine,the pork included in the bond measure wouldn't age well if the measure isdelayed until 2012, she said.

Plus, the bond would add to the state's debt, she said. The debt service isapproaching 10 percent of the state's budget and that's money that has firstcall on the general fund ahead of education, transportation, health andsocial services and other state services, she said.

The bond doesn't get to the heart of the Delta's problems, Wolk said. Thestate is asking the Delta to do too many things, she said.

'To save the Delta, Southern California and the Bay Area need to reducetheir reliance on the Delta,' Wolk said. 'Reducing reliance on the Delta isthe key -- not more water coming out of the Delta, but less.'

California needs to look more at such water sources as recycling,desalinization and cleaning up the millions of acre-feet of pollutedgroundwater in Southern California, Wolk said.

During a question-and-answer period, Solano County Supervisor Mike Reaganasked when the state will pass a budget.

Wolk said talk of closing the $20 billion gap centers on cuts, more revenueand borrowing. But Wolk said that revenue increases are unlikely to happenduring an election year, that there will be cuts but not enough and that sheis among those who opposes borrowing.

'I don't see the architecture for doing any of that right now,' Wolk said.

The pressure for the state do something about the budget will come whenmoney is running out, Wolk said. That won't happen until August, she said.

She would like to see such reforms as having performance measures tied tospending. Every program needs to be justified, Wolk said. She would addressthe budget shortfall through a balance of revenues and cuts, she said.